Yahoo News Former Prime Minister Liz Truss loses seat to Labour
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has lost her parliamentary seat to Labour in a shocking result this morning. Ms Truss, who was Prime Minister for just 44-days in 2022, was defending a majority of more than 26,000 in her Norfolk South West constituency but was defeated by Labour's Terry Jermy by less than 700 votes.
Despite Ms Truss's tumultuous time in office in 2022, the former Prime Minister wasn't considered to be in any real danger of losing her position due to the hefty majority in 2019. The shock result comes as the Conservative Party faces one of its biggest losses in modern history. At the time of writing (7.20am), Labour has won 408 seats and the Conservatives 115 seats.
A Labour victory was declared in the early hours of this morning, Friday, July 5, with incoming Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declaring "change begins now" following the party's win. Sir Keir said: “We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived – change begins now."
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Tory leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat after a “sobering” night for his party which saw predecessor Liz Truss and a record 11 Cabinet ministers lose their seats. Mr Sunak was re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton. He said: “The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.”
Mr Sunak added: “The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn… and I take responsibility for the loss.”
Ms Truss made no speech at the King's Lynn counting centre after the results were announced. A crowd began slow hand clapping as seven candidates lined up on the stage for several minutes, without Ms Truss appearing to join them.
She arrived on stage before the declaration without a blue rosette, coming in second with 11,217 votes. The ex-PM could be seen hugging allies but left without making a speech. Terry Jermy will become the MP for South West Norfolk with 11,847, while in third place, Reform UK’s Toby McKenzie took 9,958 votes.
Speaking further on Labour's overwhelming victory, Sir Keir added: “It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.
“And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.”
